PointsAfieldSeason2026–27
Plate not yet issuedGrass and picked corn under a high plains sky, Kentucky

Kentucky

Species on recordOpen now0Classified24Record year2026
The place

What Kentucky is like to hunt

Awaiting survey — Kentucky overview

Season classification for Kentucky is complete for 2026, but the qualitative overview has not been written yet. Dates, bag limits and status below are current; the narrative is what is outstanding.

Issuing agencyKentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resourcesfw.ky.govRecord year 2026
The reason people drive here

Ring-necked pheasant

Ring-necked pheasant
Ring-necked pheasantNikola Tomašić · Unsplash License
#1Ring-necked pheasantRing-necked pheasant is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 44 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Opens in 91 days
44 statesUpland
Every bird classified here

Species run

Status is computed from the published dates, not stored — a stale build cannot show an ended season as open.
Northern bobwhite quail
Northern bobwhite quailnorthern bobwhite quail · Public domain
#2Northern bobwhite quailNorthern bobwhite quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 42 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Opens in 72 days
42 statesUpland
Ruffed grouse
Ruffed grouseRuffed Grouse - Bonasa umbellus · Public domain
#3Ruffed grouseRuffed grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 38 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Opens in 72 days
38 statesUpland
Ring-necked pheasant
Ring-necked pheasantNikola Tomašić · Unsplash License
#1Ring-necked pheasantRing-necked pheasant is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 44 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Opens in 91 days
44 statesUpland
Gray (Hungarian) partridge
Gray (Hungarian) partridgeOwn work · CC BY-SA 3.0
#8Gray (Hungarian) partridgeGray (Hungarian) partridge is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 23 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
23 statesUpland
Greater prairie-chicken
Greater prairie-chickenPrairie Chicken, Puffed Up Uploaded by Snowmanradio · CC BY 2.0
#6Greater prairie-chickenGreater prairie-chicken is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 13 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
13 statesUpland
Lesser prairie-chicken
Lesser prairie-chickencrop of file in file name · CC BY-SA 4.0
#20Lesser prairie-chickenLesser prairie-chicken is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 5 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
5 statesUpland
Sharp-tailed grouse
Sharp-tailed grouseSharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) · CC BY 2.0
#5Sharp-tailed grouseSharp-tailed grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 14 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
14 statesUpland
Greater sage-grouse
Greater sage-grouseGreater Sage-Grouse Conservation · Public domain
#4Greater sage-grouseGreater sage-grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 11 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
11 statesUpland
California quail
California quailOwn work · CC BY-SA 4.0
#14California quailCalifornia quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 9 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
9 statesUpland
Gambel's quail
Gambel's quailhttps://www.inaturalist.org/photos/465247768 · CC BY 4.0
#13Gambel's quailGambel's quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 9 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
9 statesUpland
Scaled quail
Scaled quailScaled Quail · Public domain
#15Scaled quailScaled quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 7 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
7 statesUpland
Mountain quail
Mountain quailhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/135081788@N03/52903273023/ · CC BY 2.0
#18Mountain quailMountain quail is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 5 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
5 statesUpland
Spruce grouse
Spruce grouseSpruce grouse · Public domain
#11Spruce grouseSpruce grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 11 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
11 statesUpland
Dusky grouse
Dusky grouseDusky Grouse, 5-16-2014 · Public domain
#12Dusky grouseDusky grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 10 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
10 statesUpland
Sooty grouse
Sooty grouseOwn work · CC BY 2.0
#17Sooty grouseSooty grouse is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 5 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
5 statesUpland
Willow ptarmigan
Willow ptarmiganOriginally posted to Flickr · CC BY 2.0
#21Willow ptarmiganWillow ptarmigan is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 1 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
1 statesUpland
Rock ptarmigan
Rock ptarmiganOwn work · CC BY-SA 4.0
#22Rock ptarmiganRock ptarmigan is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 1 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
1 statesUpland
White-tailed ptarmigan
White-tailed ptarmiganLagopus leucura · CC BY-SA 3.0
#16White-tailed ptarmiganWhite-tailed ptarmigan is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 7 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
7 statesUpland
Himalayan snowcock
Himalayan snowcockOwn work · CC BY-SA 4.0
#23Himalayan snowcockHimalayan snowcock is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 1 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
1 statesUpland
Plain chachalaca
Plain chachalacaOwn work · CC BY 2.0
Plain chachalacaPlain chachalaca is classified as huntable/regulated upland game in 1 of the 50 states surveyed for the 2026-27 season (research pass captured 2026-08-18). This is a factual presence/season-classification summary, not a population outlook — no 2026 outlook/forecast research was performed for this species; see each state's own state-species record for season dates and any opportunistic 2026 notes captured incidentally.
Not present in Kentucky
1 statesUpland